Awhile back reader Julie emailed me and let me know that she got a propane tank refilled for about $13.50 at All Rental.  Last summer, it cost about $18-23 to do a tank exchange at Walmart and Walgreens, so you could probably save a handful of change by doing a refill instead of an exchange.

Julie said she also learned that you can have a propane tank refilled for up to 12 years before it needs to be re-inspected.  You can find the re-inspection date on the tank.

Know of any other cheap ways to get a propane tank refilled in Colorado Springs?

Image credit: nzdave

When I posted about the free lettuce wraps at P.F.Chang’s yesterday, I remembered that they actually have some recipes on their official website!  There are lots of copycat recipes out there, but I love finding ones that are straight from the source – it just seems like it’s a whole lot more likely to taste just like it does in the restaurant.

Here are some recipes that I’ve found straight from the restaurants themselves:

P.F. Chang’s Gluten-Free Shanghai Cucumbers (PDF)
P.F. Chang’s Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry Romaine Wraps with Citrus Soy (PDF)
P.F. Chang’s Gluten Free Mongolian Beef (PDF)
P.F. Chang’s Shanghai Noodles with Grilled Rib Eye and Broccoli (PDF)

Noodles Japanese Pan Noodles with Shrimp
Noodles’ Tuscan-Tossed Whole Grain Noodles with Grilled Chicken
Noodles’ Backyard Barbecue Salad
Noodles’ Coconut Curried Vegetables with Shrimp
Noodles’ Chicken Noodle Soup

Qdoba’s Poblano Pesto
This recipe used to be on their website but was removed.  This one at Food.com appears to be the same

Red Lobster Recipes
They have a bunch of recipes on their site – I’m not sure if these are ones that are served in their restaurant or not.

Do you know of any other restaurants that have published their official-or-close-to-it recipes on their own sites?

It’s Friday — time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  This week at Sunflower Market, organic cucumbers are just $0.99 each!

Cucumbers are a refreshing snack by themselves, and they’re great for lots of summertime dishes.  Here are some ideas for what to make with cucumbers!

Pickling is probably one of the most common ways to use cucumbers.  This recipe, Homemade Refrigerator Pickles, is straightforward and uses simple ingredients.  The onion and bell pepper can be omitted if desired.

Homemade Refrigerator Pickles: Image from Allrecipes

You can also make a cool, crunchy salad with cucumbers.  The variations on cucumber salad are endless, but here are two that look especially tasty: Mom’s Cucumber Salad (which uses a mayonnaise base — Kraft mayonnaise is as low as $1.49 this week at Safeway!) and Thai Cucumber Salad (which works well as a light main dish or as a side dish for grilled meat.)

Try another refreshing recipe — 5-star Cold Cucumber Soup from Emeril Lagasse.  Here’s a preparation hint: all the fine chopping and mincing called for in the ingredient list isn’t really needed since everything is going in the blender!  Coarse chopping is all that’s necessary and you’ll save yourself some time in the kitchen.

Egg Salad & Cucumber Sandwiches: Image from Taste of Home

Have you ever had cucumber sandwiches?  The typical cucumber sandwich uses simply bread, cream cheese, seasonings, and cucumbers.  And here’s an interesting variation — Egg Salad & Cucumber Sandwiches.  Yum!

Tzatziki is a traditional Mediterranean sauce that uses cucumbers and yogurt as its main ingredients.  This Tzatziki recipe is easy and so delicious; try it as a dip for veggies or pita bread, or as a sauce for fish, lamb, grilled chicken, or gyros!

Do you have any other ways you like to use cucumbers?

Be sure to check out the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more meal-planning ideas!

If you’ve been around for awhile, you probably know that we are not one of those families who spends $50 a week on groceries.  This is at least in part due to the fact that my husband likes to have identifiable meat for supper.  And supper without meat at all is not even an option.  If I serve something like Broccoli Cheddar Soup with bread, he still wants to know when the main course is coming.

However, there are two meals that I can make without meat that everyone enjoys and feels like they actually ate after consuming.  One of them is a Cook’s Illustrated skillet Mexican spaghetti recipe (though my skillet is now too small to fix enough for all of us without using a second pan!), and the other is this, which you will probably think is quite weird:

Cottage cheese patties.

This is a recipe from Jeremy’s family, of Germans-from-Russia heritage.  I have no idea if it’s traditional in that culture or not; maybe some of you know?

It took me awhile to master the recipe.  Something about old recipes not really having detailed directions and never having even tasted the things known as cottage cheese patties made it a little difficult.

However, I recently cracked the code of cottage cheese patties with crispy outsides and velvety insides – and was super excited to be able to make a meal that fills us up for $5 or so!  These are very simple, and mix up in literally two minutes.  We serve them with a couple of vegetables as sides.

Here’s the recipe!  My instructions made this seem really complicated, but they’re not.  So, I’ve included “quick” instructions, too, in case my rambling about the details made you think they are more complicated than they are!

Now tell me… Have you heard of cottage cheese patties before? Anyone know about their origin?

Linking up to the fabulous Tasty Tuesday recipe roundup at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

It’s time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  This week at King Soopers, you can get Van Camp’s Pork & Beans for $0.39 in the Buy 10, Save $4 savings event.  With Memorial Day and summertime barbecues just around the corner, it’s a great time to stock up!

Canned pork and beans can be heated and served as-is, but they’re easily dressed up with a few extra ingredients.  Here are some ideas for using pork and beans!

The Pioneer Woman has a fabulous recipe on her blog that calls for canned pork & beans, Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans.  These beans are baked at a low temperature with strips of bacon on top — delicious!

These Crockpot Pork & Beans look yummy too.  Canned pork & beans are combined in the slow-cooker with pork chops and a few other ingredients.  I use my slow-cooker often, and I tend to pull it out even more frequently in the summertime when I don’t want to turn on the oven!

Crockpot Pork and Beans: Image from Busy Cooks

Here are a few more recipe ideas using canned pork & beans:

Bean Dip – Place canned pork & beans in a blender or food processor.  Add a teaspoon each of minced onion, ketchup, sour cream, and mustard; blend until smooth and serve with corn chips!

Chili Macaroni – Brown a pound of ground beef with some chopped onion and garlic.  Stir in one small can of tomato sauce, a can of pork & beans, and a teaspoon of sugar.  Cook a box of macaroni; drain and add to beef/bean mixture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper!

Spicy Pork & Bean Salad – Cook some chopped bacon and onion until bacon is crisp.  Place in a bowl and add three cans of pork & beans, a small can of green chiles, and 1/4-cup each of chopped cilantro and salsa.  Chill overnight and serve!

Do you know of a creative way to use canned pork & beans?  Please share in the comments!

Check the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more meal planning ideas!

Rachel emailed with this question:

Do you or any readers have insight on the eMeals service, where you pay for weekly meal planning? Advantages, other options, disadvantages?

This is actually a question we’ve posted in the past and got lots of great responses, but since it’s buried in the archives, I thought I’d bring it up again so you can see everyone’s opinions.  Go here to read your fellow readers’ opinions on meal-planning services and add your own!

In this week’s What To Make With What’s On Sale post, we’re sharing recipe ideas for pork shoulder roast.  King Soopers has bone-in pork shoulder roast for $1.39/lb, a price we haven’t seen in a while!

Pork shoulder is a marbled cut and is quite versatile; it can be smoked, roasted whole, or cut up for stewing.  However it’s cooked, pork shoulder typically comes out tender and flavorful.  Here are some ideas for preparing and serving pork shoulder roast!

If you prefer to cook your roast in the oven, this 5-star Simple Roasted Pork Shoulder recipe is as basic as you can get.  Pork roast can also be braised in the oven — try this Braised Pork Shoulder from Martha Stewart.  If the roast has the skin on, you can use it for these Roasted Baby Potatoes with Cracklings and Chives.  I like the idea of not wasting any part of the roast!

Braised Pork Shoulder: Image from Martha Stewart Living

Here’s a yummy-looking recipe for Southern Pulled Pork.  The author says “this simple recipe starts out on the stove and ends up in the slow-cooker.  Add your favorite BBQ sauce and eat plain or on a bun!”

This recipe for Barbacoa Beef (and copycat Chipotle burritos!) can also be made with pork shoulder and still turns out delicious!

Pork Stew in Green Salsa: Image from Allrecipes

If you want to stew your pork roast, here’s an amazing recipe to try: Pork Stew in Green Salsa.  We’ll be having this for dinner once or twice before summer is here!

How do you prefer to cook pork shoulder roast?  Do you have a favorite recipe to share?

Find more recipe ideas in the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives!

It’s time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  At Safeway this week, Lucerne cream cheese (8 oz) is $0.99 with in-ad or e-coupon.  You can get an even better deal if you spend $10 in Lucerne products and save $2 instantly at checkout.

Cream cheese is popular as a spread for bagels and muffins, and it’s great as an ingredient in both sweet and savory recipes as well.  Here are some ideas for using cream cheese!

Cream cheese is great for hot and cold dips.  Try this simple Fruit Dip (just two ingredients!) if you need something cool and sweet, or this Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip if you’re wanting a warm, savory dish.

Here is an easy mealtime idea: Spaghetti a la Philly.  Adding just a few ounces of cream cheese to your favorite spaghetti sauce gives it a smoother texture and flavor.

Delicious Black Bean Burritos: Image from Allrecipes

This recipe, Delicious Black Bean Burritos, uses cream cheese as part of the filling!  Try adding rice, salsa, and/or shredded cheese for extra substance and flavor.

Here’s a super-easy 5-star dessert salad recipe, Green Grape Salad.  This seems like a perfect dish for a women’s luncheon or a baby shower.

If you need a good cheesecake recipe, do yourself a favor and make The Pioneer Woman’s Blackberry Cheesecake.  It’s just a basic cheesecake recipe with sweetened blackberries on top, so you can change it up with whatever topping you like.

Here’s another yummy dessert idea that uses cream cheese — Fruit Pizza!  This is a perfect recipe for the warmer months when you can choose from a wider variety of fruits that are in season.

Fruit Pizza: Image from Taste of Home

And if the above recipes aren’t decadent enough, try Paula Deen’s Strawberry-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast!

What’s your favorite way to use cream cheese?

Check the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more recipe inspiration and meal planning ideas!

Today as part of our partnership with Tim and Dave at Trusted Lending Advisors, we’re taking a look at some frequently asked questions about the lending process – everything from Tim and Dave’s experience to how much you can expect to pay in fees.  Don’t miss our previous posts on how much you can save by refinancing, the different types of loans, how long you should expect to live in your home for refinancing to make sense, and what to expect when you’re applying for a loan.

Don’t forget that Trusted Lending Advisors is offering a free appraisal (up to a $400 value) on any closed loan transaction when you mention Colorado Bargains!

Should I be pre-approved before I find a property?

Yes, this is highly recommended, and many Realtors require this. You can be pre-approved by calling us or completing a secure online application.

How long will the rates you are quoting today be good for? How does your company handle situations in which a rate lock has expired and interest rates went up during that lock?

Rates can change daily, and once a rate is locked, extensions are normally covered (if needed) at our cost if the delays are caused by our bank.

Can you explain to me what an APR is?

APR or Annual Percentage Rate is a disclosure rate that includes loan closing costs amortized over the life of the loan. APR is designed to assist a buyer in determining the “true cost to own” of the dollars they borrow, as well as to compare offers from various institutions, and to help a buyer avoid hidden charges or fees.

What is the total amount of fees associated with a loan?

This varies depending on loan program and points paid. Can be paid by seller, buyer or a combination of the two.

What are those fees comprised of?

0 points/origination (1% Origination fee optional to buy-down interest rate), $765 lender fees for underwriting and processing, and required 3rd party charges (title, appraisal, recording, etc)

Can you explain the difference between an origination fee and discount points?

An origination fee is paid to a lender as profit to their company, and a standard 1% Origination fee normally provides the lowest possible rate, usually .25% lower than a “0 points” option. Discount points would be additional points paid to further “buy-down” or reduce a client’s rate. Please call if more info needed on this distinction.

How long have you been originating loans? Over 10 years, combined 20 years experience when counting my business partner Dave Slater.

Are you closing at least 100 loans a year? Yes. Our clients have helped make our team one of the top 1% of lending teams in the country, with an average of well over $30 million in closed loans annually.

What percentage of the applications you take close? Do they close on time? We have a 99% pull-through ratio, and out of almost 200 closings in 2011, we had 1-2 files that experienced minor closing delays.  (Carrie’s note: this is a huge part of why my husband recommends using Tim and Dave!)

Can you provide me with the names and numbers of 3 previous customers that I could contact regarding your services? 

Absolutely! Please call or e-mail and I will be happy to put you in touch with some of our “raving fans”. You can also “Google” Tim Duvall or Trusted Lending Advisors (our team) or Academy Mortgage to view positive feedback and testimonials from our clients and business partners.

Don’t forget that Trusted Lending Advisors is offering a free appraisal (up to a $400 value) on any closed loan transaction when you mention Colorado Bargains!  Call them at 719-266-8183 to get started on the loan process while rates are still low!

I’m looking for information on homeschooling. My daughter will be starting Kindergarten this Fall and I’d really like to homeschool. I don’t know where to start. Are there homeschool groups out there? What curriculums are available and how can I get them? Please help!

We are homeschooling as well and formally started my oldest in first grade last fall.  I have to tell you that, since my husband and I were homeschooled ourselves, homeschooling seemed to be a very natural thing for us to do, but I never thought that I would love it as much as I do!  I’m not really a teacher, but I’ve found that I really enjoy helping my kids learn and see them get excited about learning.  That is really cool, and I’m grateful to have that privilege.

I’m not really an expert on homeschooling yet (other than having been a homeschooled student for twelve years!) but here’s what I’ve learned so far from teaching my own kids and being homeschooled myself:

• There is a lot of curriculum out there.  Don’t get overwhelmed, and don’t buy something just because everyone else loves it.  Spend some time teaching your children even without curriculum to discover your teaching style and your child’s learning style.  (I’m starting to be of the opinion that your teaching style may be just as important as your child’s learning style!)
• Take advantage of the fact that your homeschool does not have to look anything like a traditional school.  If you like teaching and learning out of textbooks, great.  But if that’s boring to you, there are lots of other resources.
• Remember that school doesn’t have to take place from 8 to 3.  Homeschooling is a much more efficient use of time so you don’t feel like you aren’t teaching enough when it takes you two or three hours instead of seven or eight.  As I homeschooled student, my actual schoolwork rarely took me more than a few hours but then I spent the rest of the day reading, designing items to sell at my parents’ craft business, teaching piano, designing websites, etc.  The freedom I had to follow my own interests, coupled with being taught to self-teach, was one of the biggest advantages my parents gave me!
• Get out of the house.  You don’t have to sit in a classroom all day, every day.  There are lots of museums to explore in Colorado Springs (history), lots of trails to hike (science and physical education), and yep, there’s even co-ops and homeschool groups that have activities galore!

Teaching Textbooks Math Curriculum

Here’s some of the curriculum I’ve found that I like (there’s a lot I don’t like :) – but I would definitely recommend evaluating lots of programs to see what works best for you.

• All About Spelling – we are using this for reading/spelling and I love it.  It’s very teacher-intensive, but very flexible and requires little to no preparation on my part.  I also love that it’s not done by grade level, so you can progress as slowly or as quickly as needed without being pressured to finish a certain number of lessons per year.
• Teaching Textbooks – another curriculum I love.  Its critics says its too easy, and I would agree – my first grader started their Math 3 in December after we spent the first part of the year doing basic addition and subtraction, and while I’m willing to admit that my kid could be a math genius, I also don’t think it’s quite at the level of traditional third grade.  However, he loves it and I love that the computer-based teacher explains everything clearly and consistently – I could totally jumble the explanation of a simple addition problem!  I also love that it’s completely hands off for me (though we do a lot of word problems and math facts on the fly all the time).
• Drive-Thru History – definitely not a curriculum, but my only goal for history and geography this year was to get my son excited about it, and this video series from Focus on the Family has done it.  My son’s favorite person is now George Washington and he has a hard time understanding how we’re actually allies with Great Britain now. :)

Well, I’d have no problem talking for paragraph upon paragraph about homeschooling, but I’d love to hear your suggestions, too!  What types of curriculum do you love and what just didn’t work for you?  What homeschool groups are you a part of in Colorado Springs?  (Please include contact info if you can!

I was homeschooled before it was cool. Anyone else like me out there? You told the clerk at Walmart that you were on a field trip when they asked you why you weren’t in school?

Well, now that I’m a homeschooling mom myself, I’m realizing that wasn’t so far-fetched. There is an awful lot that can be learned at the grocery store! I’ve come up with thirty ways – how many more can you add?

1. Write the PLU numbers on the tags from the bulk bins. (writing)
2. Weigh your produce. (math)
3. Put a prescribed number of items in your cart. (math)
4. Keep track of your items for Buy 10 type sales. (math)
5. Figure out which brand is cheapest. (math)

   

6. Push a second cart because you have too many kids in the first one. (driver’s ed)
7. Tell you how much a certain item will be after a coupon. (math)
8. Tell you how much a certain item will be after a doubled coupon. (math)
9. Identify items in the produce section. (health)
10. Look at where an item is grown in the produce section. (geoography)
11. Figure out whether the small, medium, or large package is the best deal. (math)
12. Cross things off your list. (reading)
13. Re-organize your list, grouping like items together. (reading)
14. Check for coupons in your coupon box. (reading)
15. Look for the latest-dated milk (and check the milk price tracker to see who has the best price on milk!). (math)
16. Keep a running total of your bill. (math)
17. Figure out which items will have sales tax and which won’t. (math, critical thinking)
18. Compute how many fuel points you will earn based on your final bill, and how much it will save you if you fill up with X gallons. (math)
19. Ask an employee where to find something. (communication)
20. Put the shopping cart away. (responsibility)
21. Keep track of a smaller child. (responsibility)
22. Check for broken eggs. (thoroughness)
23. Enter your phone number for your store savings card. (life skills)
24. Compare ingredient lists to find the best-quality products.  (reading, health, critical thinking)
25. Run the self-checkout machine.  (technology)
26. Choose a reward to be received upon good behaviour.  (negotiation, debate)
27. Discuss why you’re waiting to purchase a certain item because it’s not on sale.  (critical thinking)
28. Name the animal that different types of meat come from (ie, pork = pig, beef = cow). (science)
29. Talk about why you might be buying one item organic but not another.  (health)
30. Figure out the percentage discount of something that’s on sale. (math)

How many more can you add?

Have you been following along with the bloggers in the Eat Well, Spend Less series?  We’ve been posting every month for a whole year now, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity the series has given me to challenge both my writing and kitchen management skills.

This month, we’re taking a look back to see how we’ve changed our cooking, eating, and buying habits over the past year or so.  I went farther back than a year – a lot farther back, back to when I just had one kid! – and shared my journey that I’m calling “the life cycle of a couponer”.

I’ve run the gamut of the phases of a couponer: from getting up at 6 AM to head to the store to get the deals before they sold out and driving 20 minutes from one store to another location of the same store, to where I’m at now, which is just hoping that I can successfully get out of the house and to the store by 6 PM!

I’m enjoying reading your comments about your own grocery shopping journey on the post, so check it out and be sure to read the comments if you haven’t already: The Life Cycle Of A Couponer.

Don’t miss the rest of this month’s posts in the Eat Well, Spend Less series by my blogging friends!

• Jessica from Life As Mom has started shopping at fewer stores and clipped fewer coupons in the past year, in addition to becoming pickier about what they eat.  Sounds like a recipe for a grocery budget explosion but Jess knows how to keep it under control.  Be sure to also read her posts on Good Cheap Eats about her grocery budget jorney.
• Katie from Good Life Eats always inspires me with her beautiful food photography and is recapping her past twelve posts in the Eat Well, Spend Less series.
• Amy from Kingdom First Mom has made some drastic changes in their eating habits over the past year, but she managed to soften the expense of buying healthier foods by getting coupon deals on things like toiletries and household items.
• Tammy from Tammy’s Recipes has streamlined her kitchen duties and found having a chest freezer and shopping bi-weekly to be a great way to eat well and spend less.  And wow, they’ve even been able to forage for some wild berries – fun!
• Katie from Kitchen Stewardship pretty much keeps track of her real food budget to the penny.  Nope, I’m not kidding – she can tell you exactly (ok, rounded to the nearest dollar, not penny) how much spent and where last year.  Great inspiration for eating real food on a budget!
• Mandi from Food Your Way says she’s gotten realistic about menu planning recently, realizing that she needs to choose simple meals for busy nights so that the thought of cooking is not so overwhelming and takeout is not so attractive.  I am so there with her (except for us, it’s lunchtime that’s the struggle).

Hope you enjoy this month’s posts!

It’s Friday — time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  This week, fresh artichokes are just $0.88 each at Sunflower Market, and earlier this week Whole Foods Market had long stem artichokes for $2.00 in a one-day sale.

Fresh artichokes might be intimidating if you’ve never prepared them before, but they’re actually a lot of fun to eat!  I’ve heard the artichoke experience compared to a eating a box of Cracker Jacks: you have to work your way to the prize (the artichoke heart) but the process itself (the artichoke leaves) is also quite enjoyable.

Here are some ideas for preparing and serving fresh artichokes!

The most common method of cooking artichokes is steaming.  My family loves to sit around the table and enjoy a steamed artichoke (or two) together!  This fun photo tutorial, How To Eat An Artichoke, explains how to steam artichokes and includes a special sauce recipe for dipping the leaves.  If you don’t have the sauce ingredients or want a different idea, try this Tarragon-Yogurt Dip or this Spicy Aioli.  Yum!

Stuffed Artichokes: Image from Allrecipes

Fresh artichokes can also be baked — this Stuffed Artichokes recipe is similar to stuffed bell peppers.  Try substituting your own meatloaf mixture for the one in the recipe!

Grilled Artichokes with Parsley & Garlic: Image from Food Network

Artichokes can be cooked on the grill too!  Here are two yummy-looking 5-star recipes, Grilled Artichokes with Creamy Champagne Vinaigrette,  and this one, Grilled Artichokes with Parsley and Garlic.

Have you ever tried fresh artichokes? Do you have a favorite way to prepare them?

Be sure to check out the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more meal-planning ideas!

Here’s a great tip from Facebook fan Becky:

I am always looking for ways to get around having to buy refills for products I love and thought i would share my latest find with you. I have the neutrogena battery operated facial cleanser, but the one time use refills are way overpriced.

Today at Dollar Tree, I found reusable facial cleansing pads in the shampoo section and I am pleased to say that they fit perfectly (a little large, but I find that a positive) and will save a ton.

Thanks, Becky!

Like Merchant Ships posted a link to the above video today.  I was intrigued and of course had to watch as the woman went “behind the scenes” to find out how much her dress might have cost to make, and how much she might have paid if it wasn’t labeled a wedding dress.  It’s at least a little more intellectually stimulating than something like Say Yes To The Dress. ;)

I have to admit that it didn’t end up being as bad as they made it out to be.  Sure, there was a big markup from what went into materials and labor, but there kind of has to be a profit in order for anyone to have the motivation to go to the effort of starting a business.

What do you think – was it too big of a markup?  Do you think it’s a higher markup percentage than the everyday clothes we wear?

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

It’s Friday — time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  It’s been a while since we’ve seen bacon on sale for a good price, but this week at Albertsons, 12-oz packages of Farmer John bacon are $1.99, and several readers pointed out that Save-A-Lot has it for $2.00 this month, as well.

Bacon is obviously a great companion to scrambled eggs – and it’s the headline ingredient in a BLT sandwich – but there are so many other ways to use bacon as well!  Here are some ideas for what to make with bacon!

Crumbled bacon is good on any type of salad, and this one looks especially yummy: Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.  This salad is best served immediately after the dressing is added, so be sure to save that step of the meal for last!

Here’s one of my very favorite bacon recipes — Bacon Swiss Bread.  This bread is so rich and hearty it’s almost a meal in itself!

These “Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies” from The Pioneer Woman are amazing, and they’re made with only three ingredients!  (I’d recommend wearing gloves when cutting up the jalapenos.)

Authentic German Potato Salad: Image from Allrecipes

Bacon is a key ingredient in this Authentic German Potato Salad.  If you happened to pick up some Yukon Gold potatoes on sale at King Soopers last week, they’re perfect for potato salad!

Here’s a yummy slow cooker recipe that calls for bacon — Crockpot Lemon-Artichoke Chicken.  This is a fairly simple recipe to make but tastes like it requires lots of work!

Crockpot Lemon-Artichoke Chicken

This 5-star recipe for Bacon and Tomato Pasta looks delicious and uses simple and fresh ingredients.  If cheesy, creamy pasta is more of your thing, try this easy Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta.

If you want to try something adventurous, these sweet and salty Maple Bacon Cupcakes actually look pretty good!

How do you like to cook with bacon?  Share your ideas in the comments!

 Be sure to check out the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives for more meal-planning ideas!

Today as part of our partnership with Trusted Lending Advisors, we’re looking at how long you have to live in your home in order for refinancing to make sense:

Question: We’re thinking about refinancing but aren’t sure if we should or not since we don’t plan to stay in our home forever.  How long should we plan to live in our current home in order for refinancing to make sense?

Answer:  Every situation is different.  Our “rule of thumb” is that if a client can drop 1% on their interest rate and/or save $100 per month on their new mortgage payment, this will make a refinance worthwhile.  This normally keeps the client in a 1-3 year break-even period on refinancing, which is calculated by dividing closing costs by monthly loan savings in most cases. 

In the case of converting from a 30-year loan to a shorter-term (20, 15, or 10 year loan), we calculate the total interest savings of the lower rate/shorter term loan and then provide that break-even analysis to our client.  So, in most cases if a client plans to spend at least 2 more years in their home a refinance should be worth considering.

If you’d like to run the numbers to see if refinancing is a smart move for you, call Tim and Dave at Trusted Lending Advisors: (719) 266-8183 or visit their website to contact them via email.  Don’t forget that if you mention Springs Bargains, they will pay for your appraisal (up to $400 value) on any closed loan transaction!

Make sure to read our other posts related to home loans and refinancing:

• Just how much can you save by refinancing?
• Information about the different types of loans: FHA, VA, and Conventional
• Home buyer alert: home buying costs going up for FHA buyers
• What to expect when you apply for a home loan or refinance
• Why we’re working with Trusted Lending Advisors

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Holy God, in love, became
Perfect Man to bear my blame
On the cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
The Gospel Song (Drew Jones & Bob Kauflin)

May you know the depth of love of God – not only that he would die for us, but that he would take upon himself our punishment.  Love so amazing demands my life, my soul, my all!

For this week’s What To Make With What’s On Sale post, we’re sharing ways to use up ham that you might have left over from Easter dinner!  Check out Carrie’s Easter Deals Price Roundup to compare this week’s ham prices.

Here are seven recipe ideas for using leftover ham!

Diced ham is a great addition to lots of breakfast dishes, like this Ham and Cheese Frittata.  Ham can also be used in place of bacon in your favorite breakfast recipe.

Ham and beans are an easy dish to prepare and make a hearty meal. The Pioneer’s Woman’s Spicy Beans recipe calls for a ham hock; try adding a cup of diced ham as well!

Country Green Beans: Image from Allrecipes

Here are a couple of ham side dish recipes that look tasty: Country Green Beans (fresh green beans are just $0.59/lb at Sunflower Market!) and this Awesome Ham Pasta Salad.

If you’re in the mood for soup, try this recipe for Delicious Ham and Potato Soup.  With over 6,000 reviews and 5 stars, it’s sure to be a hit!

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup: Image from Allrecipes

My family loves this Creamy Curried Ham & Broccoli, and it’s super easy too!  It also freezes well, if you’re into freezer cooking!

Here’s a simple one-skillet meal, Fried Rice with Ham, Egg and Scallions.  (Speaking from experience, fried rice is best made with cold, leftover rice!)

Will you be having ham for Easter dinner?  What’s your favorite way to use leftover ham?

For more great recipe ideas, visit the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives!

Don’t miss our roundup of Easter egg hunts in Colorado Springs! We’ve also posted a roundup of deals on Easter candy, eggs, hams, and more here.

I never dyed eggs until I got married.  My family-in-law was pretty incredulous at that, but honestly, I still kind of prefer the plastic eggs filled with Snickers and jelly beans over pastel-colored, hard-boiled eggs. ;) (No one here even likes hard-boiled eggs!)

So, while I’m probably going to leave the bulk of the egg-dying activities to Easter Sunday at my in-law’s, I did want to do some fun egg activities with the kids this week as part of our school.

I would really like some hollow eggs to display as part of my home decor and thought the kids would have fun blowing them out, so a Google search led to this post with three easy tricks for blown out eggs.  (Man, my best friend and I blew out an entire goose egg with our little lungs a long time ago… Why didn’t we know about those tricks?!)

And then, I saw that that same blog had teamed up with another blog for a whole week of egg activities, like walking on raw eggs (we are so doing this), decorating hot eggs with crayons, egg geodes, bouncing eggs, and more!  Our science/art for the week is totally planned out.

Oh, and, if you are going to be dying hard-boiled eggs, here’s how to do it without that nasty gray ring around the yolk!

What egg activities will you be doing this week? Don’t forget that eggs are cheap this week at Albertsons and King Soopers (especially after this printable coupon).

And, if you prefer cooking eggs to experimenting with them, here’s a great roundup of egg recipes from Abby!

It’s Friday — time for What To Make With What’s On Sale!  Easter is just around the corner, and we’re seeing good prices on eggs this week.  A dozen large eggs are $1.00 at King Soopers (or just $0.50 with the printable coupon.)  Albertsons also has a dozen large eggs for $1.00 ($0.72 with the coupon.)

Eggs are one of the most versatile and nutritious foods in the kitchen.  Here are some yummy and creative ways to use eggs!

Eggs are most often consumed at breakfast — scrambled, boiled, poached, fried, basted…how do you like your eggs?  Here’s a fabulous step-by-step recipe for making perfectly basted eggs.  Whether the eggs come out over-easy or well-done depends on the time in the skillet.  Be sure to watch the eggs closely because they cook quickly!

Dutch Baby: Image from The Chou Life

Eggs are an important ingredient in lots of breads and breakfast foods.  Here are two breakfast (or anytime) recipes — one for crepes and one for a Dutch baby — that use several eggs as ingredients.  I like serving these items for my family because I know they’re getting some quality protein along with their grains and fruits.

Quiches and frittatas are another great way to use eggs.  This frittata recipe is fairly simple and can be adapted to your taste preferences.  (Try sprinkling some grated cheese over the top during the last few minutes of baking!)

If you have boiled eggs leftover from Easter, try chopping them up for egg salad!  When done right, egg salad makes a satisfying and healthy meal.  Try this recipe for Egg Salad Sandwiches — simple and tasty.  For a change of taste and texture, try adding a bit of curry powder and some finely diced apples to the mixture!

Have you ever thought of using eggs to make soup?  Here’s a “No Recipe” Recipe for Egg Drop Soup.  It’s an easy lunch with just a few ingredients, great for those weeks when you’re cooking from the pantry!

Bacon-and-Egg Soup: Image from Food Network

This Bacon-and-Egg Soup looks delicious too, and I’m thinking it could be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

How do you like to use eggs in the kitchen?

More recipe ideas in the What To Make With What’s On Sale archives!

Julie writes:

I am looking for deals for good report cards. I know Louie’s Pizza does a pizza deal for straight As, Krispy Kreme (in Denver) gives a donut for each A (max of five per report card), and Chuck E. Cheese gives tokens.  Does anyone know of any others?

Know of any other report card freebies for kids in Colorado Springs?  Please share your tips by leaving a comment.

From Kathy:

Twice in the last few weeks I have been treated poorly when I tried to have an error corrected on the receipt (once at Albertsons and once at King Soopers). In both cases, I called the store director the next day but pretty much felt like they didn’t really care.

I am thinking about writing letters to the corporate office and wondered if you could ask your readers if they have ever done this and if they had a positive outcome or if it was a total waste of time. I am annoyed at being treated like a liar and a criminal when the store makes a mistake and you only ask them to make it right.

Readers, what has your experience been and what would you recommend Kathy do?

Image from Nomadic Lass

The writer states that “the average U.S. family of four spends from $500 to $2,000 a year on food they never eat”.  Wow!  Hopefully some of us frugal types are (in this case) less-than-average, but it’s certainly some food for thought.  We could probably offset the cost of rising food prices by just wasting less.

A few more more interesting quotes from the article:

“Vegetables are the most commonly wasted food in U.S. homes, making up some 25% of avoidable waste, according to CleanMetrics Corp.”

“The number of meals consumed in the home was declining in the U.S. until 2002 and then began to increase, according to NPD Group, a market research firm.”

Image from Leftovers: Tasty or Trash. Click here to read article.

I found the following quote extremely difficult to wrap my brain around – supposedly studies show that when I have lots of food at home, I tend to buy more than when I have less?

“People tend to overestimate what they need at the store when they are well-stocked at home, and to underestimate what they need when they don’t have enough.”

Well, anyway, it was an interesting read.

By way of an update on my goal of wasting less, I can definitely say that I’ve made progress towards developing habits in the kitchen that are helping me not throw away so much food. It’s nothing earth-shattering so I really don’t even have any amazing tips to share; it’s just been keeping my goal in the forefront of my mind at all times.

I can’t really say that wasting less has necessarily saved me hundreds of dollars (or even tens of dollars!) but I do feel like I’m being a better steward of what God’s given me, and as a bonus, I think focusing on wasting less has helped me keep my refrigerator and freezer more organized!

So you’ve heard that interest rates are at an all-time low, but if you’re like me, you probably have a hard time figuring out exactly how much a refinance would actually save you.  So, as part of our partnership with Trusted Lending Advisors, I asked Tim to give us a couple of example scenarios on what you could save by refinancing.

NOTE: both P&I (Principal & Interest) and PITI (Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) are discussed here to clarify monthly payment info.

Let’s say you purchased your home sometime in 2005 and have now made 80 payments.  Your mortgage might look something similar to this:

Original Mortgage Balance: $200,000
Interest Rate and Term:  6.0% on a 30-year fixed loan
Monthly Payment:  $1199 (Principal & Interest) – approx. $1400 “PITI” or total payment ($201/month estimated for taxes and insurance)
Total Interest Paid Over 30 Years: $235,813
Interest Paid After 80 Payments: approx. $76,000
Remaining Interest = $159,813

Right now, we’re seeing interest rates of 3.375%-4.375% depending on loan program and credit scores.  Here are two scenarios to consider if you were to refinance today at these rates:

NOTE:  These are only examples- rates/fees are subject to change and dependent on credit scores, loan program, and other factors

Scenario 1:  New 30-year loan to lower monthly payment

Mortgage Balance: $183,000 to pay off estimated $180,000 loan balance and roll closing costs into the new loan.
Interest Rate and Term: 4.25% on a 30-year fixed loan
Monthly Payment: $900 (P&I) – approx. $1101 “PITI” or total payment ($201/month estimated for taxes & insurance)
Total Interest Paid Over 30 Years: $142,353

That’s a monthly savings of $299.

This option would “start the clock over” on a new 30-year loan, but in addition to the $299/month payment savings would also offer an additional $17,460 savings in interest even though the loan term is extended back to 30 years due to the lower rate and loan balance.

Scenario 2:  New 15-year loan to pay off loan sooner and reduce total interest paid

If you’re a Dave Ramsey fan, you might also be thinking about refinancing with a new 15-year fixed loan to pay off your home faster.  This option may raise your monthly payment slightly, but will result in a greater long-term interest savings and will allow you to own your home free and clear much more quickly.  This is a great option for people who are 15-20 years away from retirement.

Mortgage Balance: $183,000 to pay off estimated $180,000 loan balance and roll closing costs into the new loan
Interest Rate and Term: 3.375% on a 15-year fixed loan
Monthly Payment:  $1297 (P&I) – approx. $1498/month “PITI” or total payment ($201/month estimated for taxes & insurance)
Total Interest Paid Over 15 Years: $51,684

Compared to the remaining interest due in the current 30-year scenario above ($159,813), that’s a savings of $108,129 in interest over the life of the loan ($600/month), and by paying just $98/month more on a new 15-year loan, you could have your home paid off in 15 years instead of over 23 years remaining in the above example.  This would equate to a net gain of over $500/month in long-term savings.

An awful lot of us are having trouble dealing with rising grocery prices – ok, rising everything prices.  Interest rates are probably the only thing that have decreased lately, so if you’re thinking the numbers above look awfully attractive, I would love to have you call Tim and Dave and see how much you could save by refinancing!  Naturally, they can also get you the same rates on home purchases as well.

You can call them at 719-266-8183 or visit their website.  Don’t forget that if you mention Springs Bargains, they will pay for your appraisal (up to $400 value) on any closed loan transaction!

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